Bangladesh on Saturday made an excellent series win against the West India when they defeated the visitors by two wickets with 36 balls to spare. The teams were locked two-all in the series and the Bangal Tigers got the final match to win the series.
Earlier, three early wickets, followed by a substantial partnership, followed by a slump. That was the pattern of West Indies’ innings in the afternoon and Bangladesh’s chase under lights had a similar script. In pursuit of 218 to win the final match in Mirpur, and take the series 3-2, Bangladesh were rocked early by Kemar Roach. Their captain and deputy, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah, launched a counterattack against wayward bowling and their fourth-wicket stand of 91 in 12.4 overs put the innings on course. However, both batsmen were dismissed by Sunil Narine and the match was evenly balanced once again.
For a while, it appeared as though Bangladesh would slump like they did last night, when they failed to chase 211. Tamim Iqbal was bowled playing across the line, Anamul Haque fended a rising delivery to point, and Jahurul Islam nicked one that burst off a length to the wicketkeeper. Roach took all three and Bangladesh were 30 for 3 in the ninth over.
The shift in momentum was sudden, for the next 11 balls after Jahurul’s dismissal yielded 29 runs. West Indies’ bowling was poor: the lengths were too short and the lines were scattered outside off and down leg side, resulting in an ample supply of wides. Darren Sammy, who excelled with bat and ball in the fourth ODI, leaked 16 runs in the tenth over. He conceded six runs in wides, bowled a long-hop that Mahmudullah pulled for four and a half-volley that was driven to the cover boundary. The change bowlers also struggled with their lengths. Andre Russell pitched short and wide and was cut twice by Mushfiqur to the boundary. Sunil Narine bowled five tight balls in his first over before the sixth was loose and punished. And so it continued, Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah cutting and pulling forcefully, and running hard between the wickets. Roach returned for his second spell in the 19th over and he too conceded two boundaries.
